NC State coach Tom O'Brien was a former offensive line coach at Navy and Virginia, and continued his reputation for churning out quality offensive linemen during his tenure as the head man at Boston College.

O'Brien and his coaching staff have a mold they like for their linemen and the first commitment of the 2013 class, Mocksville (N.C.) Davie County High big man Cole Blankenship possesses many qualities found in O'Brien's most successful linemen.